Spectroscopic characterization of Nd3+ ions in barium fluoroborophosphate glasses

Spectroscopic properties of Nd3+ in barium fluoroborophosphate glassy matrix have been analyzed by fitting the experimental data with the standard Judd-Ofelt theory. Various spectroscopic parameters, viz. radiative transition probabilities, radiative decay time, fluorescence branching ratios, electric dipole line strengths, stimulated emission cross-sections and optical gain of the principal fluorescence transition from the F-4(3/2) metastable level were obtained to evaluate the potential of the samples as laser material. Results show that addition of borate content to the fluorophosphate matrix will reduce the fluorescence spectral properties of Nd3+. However, the radiative properties of the fluoroborophosphate glassy matrix are found to be well improved over those of pure borate and pure phosphate matrix and are attributed to the influence of fluorine content in the glassy matrix. Quantitative estimation of the non-radiative processes such as multiphonon relaxation and quenching by water content shows that the first process is absent in our sample while the water content is found to be below the critical level for optimum laser performance. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.